XI Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2019

Official documents are written in a formal, “cold” or matter-of-fact style of speech. The style of official documents, or ‘officialese’ as it is sometimes called, is not homogeneous and is represented by the following sub-styles, or varieties:

1. the language of business documents,

2. the language of legal documents,

3. the language of diplomacy,

4. the language of military documents.

General features of the style of English of documents’ writing are the following:

conventionality of expression;

absence of emotiveness;

encoded character of the language system (including abbreviations);

general syntactical mode of combining several pronouncements into one sentence.

The syntactical pattern of business correspondence style is made up from compositional patterns of variants of this style which have their own designs. The form of a document itself is informative, because it tells something about the matter dealt with. From the viewpoint of its stylistic structure, the whole document is one sentence. It looks like separate, shaped clauses often divided by commas or semicolons, and not by full stops, often numbered. Every predicate construction begins with a capital letter in the form of a participial or an infinitive construction.

Like other styles of language, this style has a definite communicative aim and, accordingly, has its own system of interrelated language and stylistic means. The main aim of this type of communication is to state the conditions binding two parties in an undertaking. These parties may be: the state and the citizen; a society and its members (statute or ordinance); two or more enterprises or bodies (business correspondence or contracts); two or more governments (pacts, treaties); a person in authority and a subordinate (orders, regulations, instructions, authoritative directives); a board or presidium and an assembly or general meeting (procedure acts, minutes) etc.

In other words, the aim of communication in this style of language is to reach agreement between two contracting parties. Even protest against violations of statutes, contracts, regulations, etc., can also be regarded as a form by which normal cooperation is sought on the basis of previously attained concordance.

Some varieties of official language have their special nomenclature, which is conspicuous in the text and therefore easily discernible as belonging to the official language style.

Besides the special nomenclature characteristic of each variety of the style, there is a feature common of all these varieties – the use of abbreviations, conventional symbols and contractions, for example:

V.I.P. (a very important person);

NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization);

GVT (government);

$ (dollar);

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Abbreviations are particularly abundant in military documents. Here they are used not only as conventional symbols but as signs of the military code, which is supposed to be known only to the initiated. Examples are:

D.A.O. (Divisional Ammunition Officer);

Atk. (attack);

Obj.(object);

A/T (anti-tank).

Business letters have a definite compositional pattern, namely, the heading giving the address of the writer and the date, the name of the addressee and his address. The usual parts of the business paper are:

Heading. The heading, which includes the sender’s name, postal and telegraphic addresses, telephone number as well as reference titles of the sender and recipient, is printed at the top of the notepaper.

Date. The date should always be printed in the top right-hand corner in the order: day, month, year.

Name and address, i.e. the inside address or the direction. The inside address is typed in three, four or more lines whichever is necessary, either at the beginning of the letter, or at the end.

Salutation. The salutation may be: Sir, Sirs, Gentlemen (never ‘Gentleman’), Dear Sirs (never “Dear Gentlemen), Madam, Dear Madam (for both married and unmarried ladies), or Mesdames (plural). Dear Mr., or Dear Mister should never be used!

Reference.

Closing or the complimentary close. It usually looks something like this: Yours faithfully / truly / sincerely / cordially (not respectfully as it is too servile).

Stamp (if any) and signatures.

Enclosures.

Actually, there are some kinds of business letters:

Congratulation Letter;

Commercial Offer;

Acceptance;

Application;

Refusal letter;

Complaint letter;

Apology letter;

Enquiry letter;

Reply Quotation;

Thank-you letter.

Here is a sample of a business letter (Acceptance):

Mrs Mary Tumin
HR Manager
Sommertim
6245 Irving Street
Denver, Colorado

Mrs Lean
9876 Cody Street
Denver, Colorado
USA, 90345

May 13, 2018

Dear Mrs Lean,

With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday I’d like to tell you that we offer you the position of Senior Lawyer in our company. You will be provided with full medical insuranceaccording to the corporate policy. Your salary will be $200 000 per year according to your request. You may learn about job conditions in job offer attached to this letter.

With respect,

Mary Tumin,
HR Manager.

Here is a sample of a business letter (Request letter/Enquiry Letter):

Mr Jack Jones
8897 Abby Road
London, UK

UK, 90345

ParkInn Hotel
7834 17th Street
Tampa, Florida

July 7, 2016

Dear Sir,

I'd like to book a single room in your hotel from August 12 till August 25. Could you please tell me the price per night including breakfast if possible? Do you have airport transfer?

I am looking forward to your reply,

Mr Jack Jones

References:

Арнольд И. В. Лексикология современного английского языка (The English Word). — М., Высшая школа, 1986

Майерс Л.М. Пишем по-английски: руководство по грамматике и письму на английском языке. – СП б.: Лань, 1997. – 448 с.

Гальперин И.Р. Стилистика английского языка. – М., 1981. – 336 с.

Dear Sirs! Деловая переписка по-английски. – М.: Культура,1993. – 328 с.

Everyday and Business English. – СПб.: Содействие,1992. – 192 с.

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